Counter Command
by flimflamkid
Summary: The Commander is accused of something horrible. It cannot possibly be true. Or is it?
1. Chapter 1

COUNTER COMMAND

by flimflamkid

* * *

"He did it! It was the Commander!" the girl sobbed, her back and shoulders shaking with emotion as her fiancé, Jim Boulder, held her in his arms.

"I'll kill you, Koenig." Boulder whispered calmly but his eyes were fiery, an indication that the wrong word might send him over the edge.

Helena felt there could be violence and advised security to have a guard attending their meeting.

John Koenig could only stand, staring at them, completely confused. He glanced once at Helena as she stood behind the couple, her face ashen, but saying nothing. "I don't understand." he said, truthfully.

They were in his office, the door to Main Mission closed. Professor Bergman was also there.

"Oh please, don't insult us!" Boulder shouted, unaware of the flinching girl he was holding. "Maria here states you entered her quarters - unannounced - and raped her!"

"I can assure you, nothing of the kind happened - at least, _not by me_." Koenig was firm and eyed Boulder suspiciously.

"What Are you saying? She imagined it?"

Koenig looked to Helena, "Doctor, has she been examined?"

"Y ... yes." Helena appeared strangely uncomfortable, her hands clenched by her sides. "There is bruising and a tear. It does appear that she was abused." the doctor nearly murmured and looked down at the floor.

"I can assure you all. It wasn't me but if Maria was attacked we need to find out who did it and quickly." Again, he met Boulder's confrontational eyes. He was a quick-tempered man and they had arguments in the past. Still, he was a good pilot and Alan Carter always vouched for his integrity.

Koenig looked from him and eyed Helena. If he did not know better he would believe she thought he had done what he was accused of. She was too quiet and did not seem to want to meet his eyes. She was probably just as shocked as any of them, he decided.

He looked over at Bergman who stood, taking it all in, his arms folded. "Victor, check with Kano. Find out if there has been any unusual activity on Alpha, inside and outside. Maybe computer can figure out what is going on."

"I will." Bergman nodded, "There was a flare in outer-space a few days ago. It was very visible to the human eye. I will also check into that as well."

"What?" Boulder was aghast, "Flares? Computer? The man who did it is right here!" He pointed a finger at the Commander. "I always knew there was something vile about you, Koenig. You are always too confident and in control. Knew you'd eventually erupt and when you did - it as with my Maria!"

"Jimmy, please!" Maria sobbed, "I just want to go back to my quarters." The technician appeared shy and embarrassed and completely vulnerable.

Helena could see she was not doing well and touched her arm. Softly, she said: "You are off duty, Maria. Take all the time you need. I've set you up for a psychological evaluation ..."

"Now you're saying she's crazy?" Boulder growled.

"Of course not." Helena returned his tone, "She's been through a physical and mental ordeal and needs to speak with someone qualified to get her through it." Softer, Helena spoke again to the young woman, "He will see you in his private office at fourteen hundred hours. There will be a nurse there too. Okay?"

"Thank you, Doctor."

Maria and Boulder left the office out of the back door, the man giving Koenig one last sneering grunt. The security guard followed them.

When the door slid shut Koenig looked at Victor and Helena and shrugged, "_Why_ would she claim it was me?"

"I've read reports where a victim can be so traumatized they replace the real assailant in their mind with someone they automatically fear." Victor looked to Helena for confirmation and she gave him a somewhat reluctant nod.

"Fear?" Koenig asked.

"You _are_ the Commander of Alpha and some might think that is reason enough to feel uncomfortable around you."

Slowly, Koenig walked down the stairs, the others following, to his office lounge and he sat heavily on the sofa. "I don't think I've spoken five words to that girl since breakaway." he said, lowly and a little aggravated. "We have enough to worry about on Alpha." The last thing he needed placed on his shoulders was a false accusation of sexual battery.

"Don't worry, John. We will get it cleared up." Bergman was encouraging. He looked over at Helena who was standing behind the sitting Koenig. He too was suddenly aware that she was being oddly quiet about the matter. Victor thought it was probably the situation. Women, even doctors, were never comfortable about rape. He supposed he could not blame her. "I'll go to Kano now. Helena, perhaps you should do some research into those case files. They could be important."

Helena nodded and was about to turn and leave with Victor when Koenig called to her.

"Helena, can we talk for a moment?"

She stood stiff and still for a moment as he stood and rounded the sofa. She watched Victor's back and the doors close as he left the office. Helena gulped ever so slightly.

"Helena, I was wondering if you could ..." He lifted a hand to touch her shoulder and was stunned when she shrugged him off and stepped back. "Helena?"

She looked up at him, calmly meeting his eyes. "Yes." she waited.

He studied her, suddenly fearful. "You don't believe I could really do something like that, do you?"

She hesitated, staring at him, expression firm and in control. Then: "How can you ask me this?"

He waited, shocked by the accusation in her tone, observing that her hands were once again fists by her sides.

"How can you possibly ask me if I think you are capable of raping a woman ... when you did the same thing to me two nights ago!"

Koenig's eyes widened just before he felt her slap across his cheek.

* * *

**I just recently bought the DVDs of this show. I was a fan a long time ago and decided to write a fan fiction. I am new at this and am currently working on Chapter 2 which will explain Helena's shocking accusation! FFK**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Two Days Previously.

She was Chief Medical Officer and there were times when Dr. Helena Russell put her personal life after, far after, what was expected from her professionally. This was not something unusual, even back on Earth when she found herself working long hours, multiple shifts, and she never looked at the clock while doing it. Her loyalty to duty was what nearly ruined her marriage to Lee and prevented her from finding another mate or husband after he was whisked away, the victim of an outer-space disaster.

Here on Moonbase Alpha, far away from Earth, motivation was an asset. Yet, she had to be careful. Too many on Alpha used drugs to keep them going for days at a time, only to have it end badly. And while Helena was not above using an occasional stimulant to give her an edge when double and sometimes triple shifts were necessary, she never relied on them. It was too easy to become addicted and no one needed a hopped-up medical department supervisor.

Dr. Mathias had reminded her for a second time that she was off duty and Helena got the distinct impression he wanted her to leave. She could not blame him. Too often Bob would be in the middle of something and she would interrupt. She did not do it on purpose but, as his superior, it was Mathias duty to listen to her when he would rather keep doing the task he had so diligently started.

"Thanks, Bob." Helena closed the file on her desk and stood. She scooped-up it and other papers and took them with her, "Have a good night." she said and walked from the medical unit.

In the hall, walking to her quarters, Helena felt over-come by trepidation. She felt as if she was being observed. She watched as other Alphans passed her with a friendly 'goodnight' or 'good morning'. None of them appeared on edge. 'Perhaps,' Helena thought, 'I've taken one stimulant too many.'

Helena stepped into her quarters, tossing the papers on the coffee table in her living area, and stripped out of her uniform. She slipped into her pajamas, started a small pot of coffee, and stretched, easing the tense muscles from her shoulders.

Kevin Carlson, a doctor on her staff, had presented and interesting proposal. He was a good man but his ideas about production in Medical Center were a little too bold. The resources required, while not quite crippling Alpha, might be better used for something more useful. Yet, if she could tone the request down, present it in a way the Commander might find palatable, Kevin could find himself the head of a new project to better moral on the moonbase.

Helena sat on the sofa and placed the steaming cup on the table. She again lifted the presentation and began to read, check marking, in red ink, the ideas she liked and making notes on those she thought might need work.

When the door opened to her quarters Helena was genuinely stunned to see Commander Koenig standing and staring at her. "I would like to talk with you." he said, walking boldly in and sitting in a chair next to the sofa.

Helena could only stare, so surprised by his appearance. He did not even ring her first to see if it was alright to enter. That was not like Commander Koenig, usually a considerate man, and Helena thought whatever it was he wanted must be very important. "What is it, John?"

He gazed at her for awhile, not speaking.

Helena suddenly felt a little nervous, nearly like she had while out in the hall, and she wondered what on Earth, or the moon, was going on. Was _she_ showing signs of a nervous disorder?

"Are you lonely, Helena?" he asked, an odd smile on his full lips.

"Lonely?" Helena sat up a bit stiffly, curious about the question. "Hardly lonely, John. We are all too busy." She noted his expression was a little pensive, "Is something wrong?"

He looked down at the paperwork before her. "You know what they say. A man and a woman work too hard, do not allow for release, it's bound to make him and her ... ineffectual."

'An odd word.' Helena thought but, with humor, said, "Have you been receiving complaints about my effectiveness, John?"

"Not at all." Again, he merely stared at her.

Helena, suddenly feeling as if he was making fun of her, sighed and stood. "John, what is this all about?"

"You don't know? Really?"

"It's late. Please stop talking in riddles." She did not mean to sound annoyed but Helena was growing tired and hoped to get through Carlson's proposal before bed. She then sighed and lifted a hand in apology, "I'm sorry, John. It's been a long day."

"I know." He now also stood and, moving behind her, lifted hands to gently massage her tense shoulders.

Helena was once again surprised by his familiarity but had to admit that his fingers were wonderful, relaxing her. She closed her eyes and gently rocked her head back and forth. "That is nice."

"I am here to serve." he said in a voice that was not quite his own.

Helena's eyes opened and she tensed a little when she sensed him moving-in behind her, pressing his body against hers. He then moved her hair and kissed Helena's neck. "John ..." She moved away, uncomfortable.

His voice was low and deceptively gentle, "I think we've known one another long enough, Helena. We are fond of one another and know what we need. Why not just do what we both desire?"

"But John ..."

"I want you." he said, abruptly, "We are only human, after all."

But as he said this, as she looked into his eyes, there was something decidedly inhuman about John Koenig. She saw it only briefly and misinterpreted it as lust. He wasn't talking about tenderness or love but an act of raw passion between members of the opposite sex. And, if John thought he knew her, he was wrong. Helena was a modern woman but in some respects she was quaint and old-fashioned. Intimacy without more than mere attraction was not for her.

Perhaps in time things might change between them. There were moments when they looked at one another and she felt a connected to the Commander she was certain no other felt. But basing sex on fleeting glimpses of a life they might one day share was not yet, for Helena, a reason to jump into bed with the man.

"Maybe one day, John." she said, "But not now. I'm not ready."

"So, you are denying me?"

Again, she was shocked. "W.. what?"

"I am the Commander of this moonbase." He stepped forward, "Its leader. Its master. If I make a choice the recipient should be and will be proud to be among the selected."

_'Among the selected?'_ Helena's eyes widened. She had known this man for six months and cared for him. Perhaps she cared for him more than she should. Yet, never had she heard such drivel part his lips. "That is not funny, John." she said, a scold in her tone.

"No. it's not." He stared at her for a moment more than quickly turned around and exited Helena's quarters.

She was left feeling ill at ease and affronted. But then a softer side of Helena began to wonder if John was ill. Perhaps all these months as Alpha's Commander had taken its toll on him. John Koenig could be having a breakdown and was, ill and groping, reaching out to her. Instead of seeing that likely scenario she had dismissed him as a rude, wanton male. 'I am a fool." Helena thought and vowed to talk with John tomorrow.

* * *

He watched her. She was not aware of it but he watched her and he would make his move tonight.


	3. Chapter 3

_Continued._

Helena was still perturbed as she dispensed with her coffee and prepared for bed. She could no longer concentrate on the proposal and thought a good night sleep might help. When she awoke the following morning, with a clear head, she could look again at Kevin Carlson's application.

Then, when finished and having some free time, she would go see John and have an enlightening talk with him. Helena was certain he would be apologetic tomorrow. Helena was now convinced that the pressure of Command was un-balancing John. As a doctor and his friend, and perhaps even something a little more, it was up to her to make him see how stress was causing him to act out. Truly, it was sad. John had no one to talk with who could really understand what he was going through. He was the Commander of a moonbase, flying endlessly through space.

There was no precedence.

And, as the leader of people, Helena could only _try_ and relate and give advice; possibly even give him medication if he was willing to take it.

Yes. They would talk tomorrow.

* * *

"Where is Tanya?' Koenig asked from where he sat at his desk in Main Mission.

Morrow looked up and over at his Commander, "She is off this evening, Commander. Wasn't feeling well. I think she stopped off in Medical Center." He added, "Is there something I can help you with?"

The Commander looked slightly peeved. "No, nothing _you_ can do."

Kano and Paul looked at one another, curious. They then watched as Koenig left them without so much as a good evening.

* * *

When Helena was young she had a small dog. It was given to her on her tenth birthday, a mixed breed of some kind, and she adored it. However, it was a yappy little thing and since she and her family lived in an apartment complex it was up to her to keep the pup quiet so it would not disturb others in the building. She did try but young Helena had to go to school during the day whilst her parents worked. One day, months later, she came home to find her precious pet missing. Her father told her they had to give it away. He was told if they did not get rid of the dog they would be asked to leave. Helena was told she simply had to understand that family came first and as much as it broke her heart the dog was not coming back.

She recalled trying to sleep that night, anguished and resentful, attempting to rid herself of the sounds of her little friend's yapping, the feeling of its warm tongue licking her face, the softness of its fur against her skin; the memory as the two would often sit in her small room and watch television together ...

And when Helena awoke, in her darkened room, she saw glowing eyes and, for an instant, she remembered her dog and thought it had come back to her, to the child who felt as if she had failed her companion. But in reality she was alone ... _had_ to be alone ...

Helena suddenly felt afraid and very agitated. She sensed movement, the rustle of fabric, boots on tiled floor, and she sat up. "Is someone there?" Helena called. She locked her door after John left earlier in the evening. She knew she did.

"Doctor." He sat at the edge of the bed and the light of her clock caught the smoother plains of his face, causing its creases to grow dark, the face eerie and odd.

Startled, Helena touched a switch on her night stand, the over-head lighting bathing the room in a gentle glow. "What ... what are you doing here?" she nearly cried.

John Koenig's face was as calm as it had been earlier, a nearly knowing smile up-turning his lips. "I was in error and came back to apologize. I did not realize you would be sleeping."

Annoyed, Helena reared up in her bed a little. "You would if you had rang in to me first, John. Why do you keep walking in on me without announcement?" She watched him and suddenly realized where his eyes had strayed. She had not realized it but her pajama top loosened and was revealing a lovely view of her upper chest and cleavage. Helena was not certain if she was angry or flattered by his interest. However, she did take her coverlet and lifted it up to cover her breasts.

"I apologize for that as well. I seem to be making all sorts of mistakes tonight." he said.

Helena had an odd impression that he was saying what he felt she wanted to hear rather than truly apologizing for his conduct. "Well ... thank you for that." She flinched a little when he reached forward and took one of her hands. The feeling of unease was heightened. John had never made her feel this way before. As a matter of fact, his presence often denoted calm.

"But what I said was true, Helena. We can be very good together."

"Because I am one of your chosen?" she asked him, unable to help the sarcasm. Helena immediately felt sorry for saying it. She watched as he looked away from her, apparently hurt. She had just told herself, less than two hours ago, that she would try to understand the Commander. Still thinking his attitude might be stressed-induced, Helena released his hand then reached up and touched his arm. "I am sorry. John. I know you to be a good man with a good heart. But you _are_ acting so odd." She looked at his profile in the low light.

"Are you afraid for me, Helena?"

"A little." She said, honestly, "I want you to come to Medical Center tomorrow for a full evaluation. It could be something as simple as over-work."

He then turned back to her, glancing at her hand on his arm, and smiled. "There are other ways of relieving workplace stress, Doctor." He leaned in a little closer to her, "Some wonderfully intimate ways of putting our problems completely out of our minds."

Helena dropped her hand, strangely frightened. His voice seemed odd again, the look in his eyes - those eyes that appeared to shine in the dark - were clearly in need of something she was unwilling to give him. "John, I told you ..."

His breathing seemed labored as he spoke, "I left Main Mission and was off to find another ... but I remembered you and our parting. I need you so much, Helena. I _must_ have you!"

"John!"

He leaned forward and his lips roughly covered her own, his hands now lifted and held her shoulders down, flattening her back to the bed. He could feel her pushing him away and used his body, his bigger size to pin Helena. He used a free hand to jerk the coverlet from between the two of them.

"I said NO! Stop!" she cried between coarse kisses. Helena squirmed underneath him and tried to push him away, which seemed to excite her attacker even more. Helena could hear him say something under his breath about giving birth 'to a whole new race' but she felt it had everything to do with whatever delusion John Koenig was suffering from. Helena could feel her pajama-top parting as his mad kisses moved further downward. Her own hands frantically groped for something on her bedside table and her fingers closed over the comlock in its charger.

"Helena!" he breathed out passionately, his fingers now pulling at her bottoms.

With a frantic cry, Helena brought the comlock hard against the back of his head. He grunted and went limp for a moment. It gave Helena enough time to slip away from Koenig and off the bed. She quickly adjusted her pajama top, ran to the corner closest to her bathroom. Panicked, Helena lifted a long cylindrical piece of clay art on a display table and if he came after her she was prepared to defend herself. She saw him stagger to his feet, now standing up-right and looking at her, angry but also amused.

He rubbed the back of his head and neck, not advancing. "How can such an intelligent woman be so beautiful ..." he growled, " ... and stupid!"

Helena flinched, breathing heavily, frightened. And also very hurt.

"I gave you a chance, Helena." he spoke, nearly panting. "If you are not interested others will be."

He then turned from her, without looking back, and walked from her quarters.

Helena said nothing, merely watched him, and lowered the sculpture. Her lower lip trembled and she felt a mad urge to scream. Helena was not certain if it was out of fear, sorrow, anger or the thought she might have lost something never to be regained.

A single tear rolled down Helena's left cheek.

* * *

_**Continue ...**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Continue ...**_

* * *

_Two days later_

"You are trying to tell me ..." He stood and stared at her, aghast. " ... that I raped you?" Koenig's voice was nearly shaking with suppressed anxiety, shame and, ultimately, fear and rage for something that had happened to a woman he cared deeply for. He did not even acknowledge that she had slapped him mere moments ago, although Helena still held her hand, stunned and stung by the emotional act of violence she had just dispensed.

She was mesmerized by his expression. There was something lost and fearful in John's eyes. It tugged, despite what he had done, at a sympathetic chord in her heart. "No ... I stopped you." she reminded and searched his face. This was no act. John truly did not seem to remember any of it. "You left me but you were very angry and said you would find another."

Koenig closed his eyes. Helena would have no reason to lie about such a thing. What in God's name was happening? " He breathed out and appeared now very frightened, "Helena, next to Victor you probably know me better than anyone on this base. I swear didn't ... I mean, I _couldn't .._." Then finally, "Not _you_."

Helena found herself gulping. She believed him.

He searched his mind, "Could I have done these terrible things without ever knowing I did them?" He trailed off, realizing how ridiculous it must have sounded. "Can I be that sick? That far gone?" Koenig had never forced himself on a woman in his life. If he had genuinely attacked Helena with absolutely no memory had he truly raped Maria?

"You were unreasonable." Helena spoke gently, not wanting to hurt him but relieved that he was receptive and wanted to hear what she had to say. This was far more like the man she had known for the past six months. This was the man who calmed her when times were bad and always put others first, before his own happiness. This was a man she found wildly attractive and the man Helena felt, one day, she could and would find a future with. "You were completely unlike yourself, John." she whispered. Then, something suddenly occurred to her. Helena walked slowly to him and reached a hand to touch his own.

"What ...?" he started. Koenig tried to pull away. He was not deserving of her touch if he had done the things she accused him of, "Helena, don't ..."

"Wait, John." she said with an unexplained purpose. Helena stood directly in front of him now and lifted a hand to his shoulder and then to his cheek.

Her touch was making him uncomfortable because he liked it so much. He was growing warm, her fingers were gentle and soft and the intimacy of her skin against his own was making him respond in a manner unfitting all things considered. He was relieved when she dropped her hands and stepped back.

"John, I don't know how to explain it other than ... I feel _comfortable_ around you now."

He blinked, unsure of her meaning.

"Just before our original encounter and even later that evening when you showed up next to my bed I had a terrible feeling of anxiety, fear and just feeling unhealthy. It was like a chemical equation was all wrong. Wish I could explain it better but the feeling was quite unlike what I normally have with you."

"Perhaps it was premonition." he said, unhappily.

"No, it was more than that." Helena recalled, "When Maria was examined she said she felt the same thing, that you were not her Commander but a beast ..." Helena cleared her throat slightly, sorry for her honesty but knowing it was important if they were going to get to the bottom of this bizarre situation. "She said that she _felt_ you before seeing you enter her quarters. She had not been feeling well right before she saw you. She was afraid."

"I do not know what you're saying Helena." Koenig exhaled, painfully.

"I'm saying," Helena looked hopeful for a moment despite the circumstances, "it might not be you at all, John. Perhaps Alpha is being invaded by an alien intelligence; a being that has taken on your likeness."

"An intelligence that is abusing our women?" Koenig gently shook his head back and forth. The whole idea seemed preposterous.

Helena suddenly breathed in deeply and stumbled backward slightly. She might have fallen if John had not reached out to hold her steady. The fact that she did not recoil told him he was not the cause of her affliction.

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just feel ..."

At that same moment Victor walked into the office, some papers in his hands, and he looked up. At first he wondered what was wrong with Helena but his attention was unexpectedly diverted to an area above the couple, near the ceiling in Koenig's office, "John!" he called.

Koenig looked up as he held a shaking Helena by the shoulders. He pulled her back, against him and slowly stepped further backward, close to Victor. "What is it?"

A shining swirl of light was throbbing and undulating. It appeared to be looking for something.

Helena continued to shake and could no longer look up. She was terrified and sick. An inexplicable fear and anxiety had over-come her and she now turned into John's arms, her head on his shoulder, and wordlessly begged him to keep her safe.

Victor saw Helena's uncharacteristic reaction and put a hand on her arm as John held her.

"Who are you?" Koenig called.

The swirl stopped undulating as if the intelligence was aware it was being addressed. It then disappeared, blinked out of existence, as if it had never been there.

Carefully, Helena straightened and started to breathe regularly again.

"Are you all right?" Victor gently asked her.

"Yes." She looked up at the Commander, gently disengaging herself. "It was like I told you, John, the same feelings but I felt it ten-fold just now. I was out of control with fear." She now looked up from where the alien swirl disappeared. "THAT must be it, John. In its pure form the alien creature is perfect anxiety in its most potent form but when it inhabits something, a human body, it simply causes unease but ... why did it only happen to me? Why weren't you and Victor affected?"

"Because you are a woman?" Koenig thought aloud.

"That could be part of the answer." Helena nodded, thoughtfully. Her eyes then looked at him with sympathy, "John, I am so sorry. The things I thought ... and I hit you!" Her low sultry tone, so familiar to her, was full of emotion. "I should have known better."

He lifted a hand and softly touched her hair, "I nearly believed it myself. I'm just sorry you had to be put through that hell, Helena."

Dr. Russell then looked at Bergman's expression which was clearly a question mark, "You _must _be completely lost, Victor." she said with a near smile.

"Not entirely." The Professor lifted the papers in his hands, "Something interesting here. I've had a talk with Kano and Dr. Mathias. I believe if we have all parties present, including Tanya and Professor Robinson, the facts - as strange as they are - will enlighten us."

John and Helena looked at one another.

* * *

_**Continue ...**_


	5. Chapter 5

**continue ...**

"An alien entity?" If anyone other than Professor Bergman, a man he respected, had said it Jim Boulder might have thought him a liar, "But Maria is certain it's Koenig." he reminded, scowling once in the Commander's direction.

Jim's hands were on Maria's shoulders, keeping her calm with his strength.

She appeared stronger, her dark hair combed and pulled into a pony-tail, and Maria was able to keep her head from bowing, Also, her breathing was regular. She could even look at Commander Koenig without appearing ill.

Tanya Alexandria and Professor Angela Robinson were also in the office, the former an impressive staple in Main Mission and the other a brilliant woman, thought so vital to Alpha that she was selected by Computer as one of the top six men and women who would keep the base and its people optimally functional.

"Commander," Professor Robinson, arms folded in front of her, skin dark against the light color of her uniform, appeared fatigued. "I am not feeling very well. I've had a headache for three days and just want to go rest." she said, trying not to be rude but wondering why she was called into the meeting.

Tanya looked over at Angela and nodded, also looking less than in top form.

"That is one of the reasons you are here." Koenig said. He glanced at Helena who was studying Victor's research.

"It seems," Dr. Russell, still reading, moved to stand beside Bob Mathias. "we have something in common. Angela, Tanya, Maria and myself have exactly the same symptoms in varying degrees. And it seems like we all came down with these symptoms within the last few days."

"I am not certain I understand, Doctor." Tanya said, her accent thick with fatigue, as puzzled as the others.

"And what does that have to do with _my_ situation?" Maria asked, squaring her shoulders.

"Much, I am sorry to say." Bergman said, looking at the girl. "There appears to be an entity present on the moonbase and it has chosen the four of you as its ... " Bergman hesitated at the description, "... mates?"

The women's eyes widened.

He continued, "I had Kano check on it and computer confirms that a powerful surge of energy, the entity, was with all of you at one time or another. He looked at Tanya, "Tell me if I am wrong. You became ill when you started working in Main Mission the night before last."

"Yes. That is when my headache started and just got worse the longer I was at my console. I finally had to leave. I did feel better but the same headache and uneasiness happened the following evening."

Helena nodded, "I started feeling badly right after my shift in Medical Center yesterday, in the hall, as I was walking to my quarters. Nausea, anxiety, rapid heartbeat ..."

"Yes!" Angela suddenly said, "Fear. I didn't feel well while approaching the technical section this morning but, more than that, I felt _afraid_, as if something was not right ..."

"... as if I was being watched." Maria finally said, thinking verbally, and all the women nodded.

Helena said, looking up from her reading, "And the reason we are feeling the way we do when no one else is because ... We were and possibly still are _chosen_ by whatever it is that wants us."

"We've been marked?" Tanya asked, gently biting her lower lip in worry.

"But I_ saw_ the Commander!" Maria said, "I didn't imagine that. It was _violated_ by Commander Koenig."

"_Or_," Helena said, quickly. "An alien that made itself look like Commander Koenig."

"And this is where the conflict comes." Mathias sighed, regretfully. "Where this entity starts, the very first detection according to Computer, was here in the Commander's office. Dr. Russell, the Commander and Professor Bergman saw it here just this afternoon. BUT -" he cleared his throat, "The Commander himself appears to have been in the same places where the encounters and Maria's rape took place ... We could tell through the medical monitor in his tunic. We can trace his steps for the last two days."

There was silence from all and Helena noted Jim Boulder gritting his teeth.

Koenig sighed and finally spoke, "I went over it, comparing what I was doing or thought I was doing while I was apparently elsewhere." He looked at Maria, "When I was with you I was in the computer room. I remember checking some facts and figures through Computer ... Yet, Computer has no record I was ever there. When I approached Dr. Russell," he glanced once again at Helena, "I thought I was asleep. I was working a night shift so I slept during the afternoon. Yet that evening, when I thought I was working in my office, Paul and Kano said I walked out and appeared to be looking for Tanya ..."

The Operative's eyes grew wide. "I never saw you, Commander."

"Because I stopped off at Dr. Russell's again. Or, the entity did ..."

Helena remember awakening and seeing his glowing eyes in the dark. She thought she had imagined it.

"Possession?" Professor Robinson asked.

"It fits." Bergman said.

Boulder nearly spoke when he felt Maria tense underneath his hands. "What ...?" he started.

Then Helena, Tanya and Angela also started to breathe heavier and shiver. "It's here!" Helena called, nearly gasping.

Koenig stepped to her, placing a hand on her arm as he, Bergman and a confused Boulder looked upward.

"There!" Bergman proclaimed as they saw the swirling light once again, up high in the corner of Koenig's office

"I'll be damned!" Boulder shouted. "Come down here you, bastard!"

Bergman thumped his shoulder. Antagonizing it was not going to help.

"What do you want?" Koenig called, "Why are you doing this to our people? Why are you here?"

The women, including Helena, crowded together in near panicked as the alien swirl slowly lowered as it hovered in the Commander's office. They backed away from the men, holding one another, against a wall. Maria and Tanya were crying; Helena and Angela shaking and looking as if they were in pain.

"Commander!" Paul Morrow called over the compost, "I know you said not to disturb you but this is an emergency. We have just received a communication ... Aliens are preparing to invade Moonbase Alpha!"

* * *

** Continued ...**

* * *

_Thank you, Becky, for your suggestions and advice._


	6. Chapter 6

**continued.**

Koenig moved quickly to his desk and pushed the button which opened the large double-doors to Main Mission. A part of his attention was still on the frightened women in his office but he was also amazed by what he saw on the Big Screen.

Professor Bergman stood beside him on the top step and looked gape-mouth but intrigued by the huge craft, "I have never seen anything quite like that before, John." he said. The ship was, by all appearances, partly made of illumination; swirls and beams of colorful light. However, the craft's dangerous hardware was apparent by the three large missile cannons positioned on its lower hull. "Where did it come from?" he wondered.

"Contact?" Koenig called to his controller.

Morrow looked from the craft to his Commander in confusion. "Initially we received a single sentence. It seemed to say we should be ready for boarding. But, so far, nothing has happened. No sign anywhere on Alpha of an invasion."

"However," Kano called, "There is an energy fluctuation in your office, Commander."

Koenig and Bergman looked at one another. _The alien._

Helena, with a monumental effort, pulled herself away from the other women who were still paralyzed by fear, and pushed herself to stand beside Victor and John. She was still nervous, forcing herself calm, but she knew where she was needed at a time like this. She was a command figure, after all. "Are there life-signs on the ship?' she asked.

"A great deal of energy." Kano said, "But Computer is not sensing any other life source. Nothing human."

"If it's not human, doesn't contain a form, _why_ the need for a spaceship?" Sandra verbally inquired from where she sat .

Curious, Bergman watched as John Koenig, appearing suddenly dazed, turned from them. He slowly walked to his desk and sat in his office chair. He stared straight ahead, not at the screen or at any of his people. "John?"

Koenig was eerily unmoving.

A cry was heard from Maria and Angela.

Tanya closed her eyes, appearing in physical pain as she pressed her back against the office wall, resting her head against the coolness of the panel near the room's exit.

Helena suddenly tensed and looked for a moment as if she was going to fall. She might have if Mathias had not been near and rushed to grasped her shoulders.

With little preface, Koenig said: "The women of Alpha are not energy. They will need a vehicle when spirited away from your moon."

The voice did not belong to their Commander.

Helena, now calmer, stood straight and turned to look at him. Angela, Tanya and Maria also appeared stronger as they looked at the creäture who seemed to be their Commander but could not possibly be him.

He stood and pushed the chair away, a near smirk clear. He rounded the desk, looking up at the screen and shaking his head in some form of unknown irony. "They arrived far sooner than I expected."

"Look!" Boulder indicated where Koenig had been seated. A semblance of dull energy particles remained, floating.

"_That_ is John Koenig." the alien said, "Right now the Commander believes he is sitting at his desk and is looking at the space craft. He is not aware of what is happening around him."

"Just as he thought he was in all those places ..." Helena looked at the alien-Koenig, "... _was_ in all those places while you hijacked his body and ..." She hesitated as the Main Mission staff stood to their feet, realization dawning. "But _why_? Why us?"

"It was ideal." He said with an unKoenig like smirk as he looked at the woman, "The females of my planet are infertile. Many of us, the males of our species, were sent to find others to repopulate our planet."

Professor Robinson moved forward. With a gulp, she asked: "How is it possible for us to be compatible with your kind?"

"You would be surprised. We have appropriated many females over the last three hundred years. You four will become my wives; added to the fifty I already have. We will make you compatible."

"A harem." Tanya gulped and took a deep breath.

"Yes." the alien-Koenig raised an eyebrow at the description. He then looked directly at Helena, admiration in his eyes. "But I have never seen any females quite like you. You will be royalty among my entourage and treated well."

"You cannot possibly think we would agree to this." Helena said, looking for any sign of her John Koenig but knowing none currently existed in his body.

His expression was indulgent. "No. But you will adapt." His eyes appraised her, "You are chosen and have no choice."

* * *

**continue ...**


	7. Chapter 7

**continue ...**

There was silence; complete and utter quiet.

Helena could not believe the temerity of the man ... or alien .. _or creature_. Whatever it was he was very sure of himself. And, unlike John Koenig, he did not mind displaying blatant, arrogant superiority.

Then Kano, struck still like the others, heard the insistent clicking of Computer. He looked down at his console. "We are registering a tremendous surge of energy from the alien spaceship. It's breaking free from the craft and heading to Alpha!"

All eyes, including a perplexed alien-Koenig, looked up at the screen.

Indeed, a ball of swirling light was jettisoned from the craft and was moving in their direction.

"An attack?" Morrow asked, snapping once again into their Controller.

"No." Kano hesitated, "Computer detects no weapons."

_But that did not mean they were not hidden._ Helena looked at Victor and read his mind.

"Go to Yellow Alert." Professor Bergman called.

"I am receiving a communication." Sandra said, tapping fingers over her keypad. "It is requesting permission to enter. They say they want to ..." she looked over to Paul, "... _arrest_ a criminal."

There was a hesitation then all eyes fell on alien-Koenig.

He nearly chuckled. "My people - those in power - do _not_ have a sense of humor." He then glanced at Helena and the other women near him, "But then again, neither do you."

* * *

The light rippled and twisted and appeared between the large double doors that separated the Commander's office and Main Mission.

Instinctively, the Alphans drew back, Victor taking Helena's arm and pulling her a bit behind him.

Tanya and Angela retreated once again, their backs to the far office wall as Boulder held Maria in his arms. No one knew what it really meant but suspected another rush of panic from the women. This alien energy appeared to have a bad effect on certain Alphans and Victor nearly asked the women to leave when he sensed Helena moving forward to stand unwavering beside him. She did not appear at all ill or harmed by the new presence. None of them did.

As before, the alien swirled and pulsated and even in its undefined state they sensed curiosity rather than evil or ill thoughts.

Victor moved forward, "You are trying to communicate?" he asked it.

"Of course it is." The alien-Koenig folded his arms in front of him, seeming peeved. "His name is Dre and he's asking you if he can take you over, as I have Koenig, to explain our situation."

"Victor, no." Helena grasped his arm. "You can't. We don't know what damage such a thing could do to your mechanical heart."

Then Boulder, releasing Maria, stepped forward. "Let it come into me." he said, courageously.

"Jim, I don't think you should either."

"Professor, I'm sorry but we need answers and, well, I am younger. Dr. Russell can tell you that I am in perfect shape." He glanced at Maria who appeared frightened for him. He said to her, "We need to know what exactly is going on here and I'm willing to do this." He gently reached up and touched her cheek and spoke softly, "Maria,_ you_ need to know."

She nodded, understanding but not liking his volunteerism any more now than when he first offered himself.

Jim Boulder walked to the alien form and everyone watched as he was enveloped. Boulder then turned about, walked two meters to his left, looking at them. As with John Koenig, the Alphans noted a small essence of light particles where Jim had originally been standing, the pure essence of a man who probably thought he was still waiting to be taken over.

"I am Dre." Alien-Boulder said. He looked at Koenig, "His name is Dyl and as I am sure you already know he is not your Commander."

Bergman said, "He said you were people in search of women - or females - to mate with and produce offspring."

"This is true. However, it was never our intent to take females, in this case, your women by force. Dyl belongs to a faction of our people who feels this is the only way to assure our survival ... but it is not our law!"

"Laws were meant to be changed!" the alien in Koenig's body barked, "We tried it your way and we were met with negativity. The only females who agree with our terms are from dying planets; desperate, gravely ill creatures who have no choice. Is that what we want? Or ..." He now looked at Helena. His vision then took in Angela, Tanya and Maria. "... do we want beautiful, strong, and healthy women ... Females who can give birth to warriors, strong perfect beings with intelligence and ..."

"Of course that is what we want." Dre's voice rose to met Dyl's, "But it _must_ be voluntary or we will turn into our ancestors, vile degenerate beasts who mated not for love or purpose but because they had an agenda that was far less nobel than anything we imagine in the cosmos."

"He raped me." Maria said, her tone strong but tinged with dread. "There was no asking for permission." she told Dre. "He simply took me ... and I cried for him to stop!"

Dre nodded, "We suspected as much."

"Your cries were from passion, not fear or pain, my dear. Admit it." Alien-Koenig's voice had grown deep and sarcastic.

Stop it." Helena's voice was firm and angry. Yet, she remained in control of her fury. She spoke to Dre. "This body he has inhabited belongs to our Commander. He violated him too, taking _him_ without permission. Dyl is neither charming or misunderstood. He is common and evil." she summed up. Helena looked steadfast but deep inside she harbored an appalling secret. When she thought Dyl was John Koenig, the man who physically needed her, she nearly felt an entitlement, despite the circumstances. In the past John had always been so guarded and for a brief time Helena began to wonder if they truly _did_ have a future together.

But then he came to her quarters and he wanted her ...

What angered Helena most was Dyl's arrogant actions and words, the fact he had said he could easily go to another woman without her. His attention was not just for her but any other woman who might please him. _That_ had seemed so unlike the man she had come to know and feel affection for. He was a man who would never attack her or any other woman. Yet, if the alien had approached her differently, had used gentle words of love ... would she have submitted?

When Helena had heard of Maria's rape and who she was accusing of the vile act her world shattered around her. She not only felt truly alone but injured and guilty. If she had only reported what John did to her that night instead of thinking it a personal problem between she and the Commander, Maria might not have ever been attacked.

Helena's mind was a jumble. She remained angry with herself for thinking the alien was truly John Koenig. She had already told John she should have known better and that foolishness on her part, that selfish pride, vanity, and a willingness to be deceived would stay with Dr. Russell for a long time to come. Strangely, the realization that John was invaded by an alien was nearly a relief and, even in that, Helena felt guilty. She had no business feeling relieved when so many others were in danger.

"You've come to take him back with you?" Victor asked.

"Yes."

"Will he be punished?"

Dre looked at alien-Koenig, at the haute expression on his face. "He is a mutineer and a traitor. Yes, he will be dealt with." He added, "Severely."

The arrogance left Dyl momentarily.

"I don't understand something." Paul Morrow came up the stairs. "How did he hope to get these women off of Alpha and on your ship without anyone noticing?"

"Dyl and his colleagues, we discovered, have done this a countless amount of times." Dre appeared to be searching for words, "We have never come across this behavior before. We did not understand it. For eons our people were good and at one with life forms in the galaxy. We did not see our people changing back into the beasts that were once our ancestors. It is a reverse evolution of sorts." He suddenly looked embarrassed, "That is our plight unless we can set it right for the next generation of our people. We are deeply sorry, Alphans."

"People without corruption?" Professor Robinson approached, leaving the wall she and Tanya were standing near. She appeared fascinated. "And faced with it you did not know what you were seeing?"

"We knew about such things from a nearly unspoken-of past but, when approached by Dyl and his people ... we merely thought it a knew way of thinking. Not corruption. We did not agree with it but did not understand that the thoughts had become loathsome actions." Dre replied. "We are a gullible people."

There was silence as what he said was digested.

"But now we will leave your people in peace." he said. Dre looked at alien-Koenig, "Come here." he demanded.

The smirk returned once again, "You will take me back, even punish me, but there are more of us than you. One day we will take control and there will be no stopping us in our very important mission." He paused as he started to pass Helena and, in a lower voice whispered: "_You_ would have been my favorite." near her ear.

Helena flinched away from him as he proceeded.

"Now that we know what we are up against we will fight you to the end." Dre lifted a hand and placed it on Dyl's shoulder. He once again looked at Bergman, Helena and all the others. "Forgive us. Have peace in knowing this will never happen again ..."

"Not _here_, at least." Dyl's voice parted menacingly as the aliens faded away.

The transition was quick and painless.

Both Koenig's and Boulder's essences moved to their bodies just as that which was Dre and Dyl moved up and out, disappearing from the office and all in front of the other Alphans.

"Look!" Kano called, indicating the Big Screen. The same swirl of energy was departing Moonbase Alpha and returning to the odd spaceship. Koenig and Boulder came completely back to themselves as the Alphans watched the alien craft move off and away from them, quickly departing into the deepest reached of the galaxy.

Boulder hadn't realized his hand was still on Koenig's shoulder and he removed it.

"Are you all right?" Koenig asked him.

"Yes Commander ... you?"

Koenig nodded. Jim Boulder's own experience seemed to have made him understand the situation better than before. He also appeared as puzzled as Koenig. Neither truly understood what had happened but the others would soon fill them in.

Maria came to Jim and he held her. "He's gone." she whispered, "_Gone_." The hope in her voice was nearly childlike.

Dr. Mathias came to them, escorted the couple from the office, and dispensed some much-needed therapy.

The others left as well, the Main Mission staff going back to work, leaving Victor and Helena with John Koenig.

The Commander looked down at his hands and seemed disturbed for a moment.

"All's well that ends well." Victor summed up and gently slapped his friend on the shoulder. "Let's find a planet, a wonderful world to live on, and leave all of this ugliness behind, John."

Koenig nodded and tried to smile as he watched Professor Bergman trot down the Main Mission steps. He felt strange and not quite whole, yet not really angry either. He was numb. Their mission was the same and his people needed a strong, competent Commander, someone to show them the way. Yet lately he had been weak. Perhaps this was how the alien had so easily invaded him. Koenig decided he needed to put a stop to that. No more weakness. Only strength and resolve.

Helena continued to look at John, sensing something she was not sure she understood. It was understandable that he should be troubled and confused but their Commander and her friend seemed to also be withdrawing. "Is there something I can help you with, John? Do you need to talk?" she asked.

"No." his voice was suddenly firm.

"John?"

"Doctor," he looked away from her and walked back to his desk, "you can return to Medical Center. I am sure you are needed there."

She was a little stunned by his use of her title. They had been beyond that for sometime. Helena used her most persuasive voice, "Honestly, John. If you would like to talk in private we can. I would be more than happy to ..."

"No." he said again, making himself busy at his desk. "It's over and we have work to do."

Helena nodded slowly and a little sadly. She walked from his office, exiting out of the back door.

He was the Commander.

She was Alpha's Chief Medical Officer.

Whatever might have been there was over.

* * *

_**The concluding chapter will appear soon. **_

_**Thank you for all who have read and are commenting. Special thanks to those who have read my story in advance and dispensed helpful advice.**_


	8. Chapter 8

**_(Final Chapter. Hope you liked my Space: 1999 story. Thank you Becky 99 for help on this fiction, particularly this chapter.)_**

* * *

She sat on the sofa in her quarters and slowly sipped at the tepid brew in her teacup. She thoughtfully thumbed through the latest of Dr. Carlson's proposition, an update version of what he had presented to Dr. Russell eight weeks ago. Helena was faintly aware that she had been doing the same thing the night John Koenig, or the alien that was impersonating the Commander, invited himself in - wanting intimate favors.

Alpha had not heard from Dre or Dyl since their departure.

Unfortunately, since then matters had also been strained between the Commander and herself. Helena and John worked together, even had lunch and dinner together along with others, but if it could be avoided they never spent any time alone. Helena tried to make herself available to him, attempted to make John understand that what he _was_, what the alien had done to him, would never make a difference in any relationship he had with his people. Or, more importantly for Helena, whatever future she and John might share.

He was not receptive. He barely listened to her anymore outside a professional opinion and this hurt Helena deeply.

She heard the electronic chime to her door and - briefly - her pulse raced. She lifted her comlock and allowed the visitor entrance. She felt an odd combination of warmth and disappointment when Victor Bergman entered, smiling and offering a short wave.

"How are you?" he asked, standing and rubbing his hands together.

Helena nearly chuckled, "The same as yesterday, Victor. I'm going into Medical Center tonight for a shift."

His expression darkened ever so slightly. "Do you think that wise considering what you have been through, Helena?"

"I think work is exactly what I need."

It had only been two days since their return from the Darian spacecraft. Victor could see that Helena was holding her own, deciding the best approach was to work though her trauma with a heavy dose of personal strength and denial. The savage beings had killed Lowery and held her as a sacrifice to their god, Neman. In reality Neman and Kara were "pure" Darians and were going to use Helena's body, cannibalize her in some frightening way, to keep their people alive until the ship could get to its destination. Worse yet, had they not discovered their deplorable secret, that was the plan for all the Alphans.

"Well, I'm sure John would rather have you take another day off." He nearly said something else when Helena peevishly dropped Carlson's report on her coffee table and stood.

"I wouldn't know." Helena was suddenly agitated.

"What do you mean?"

She paused momentarily then said, "He hasn't bothered to come and see me _or_ call me since our return, Victor."

"That surprises me." Perplexed, Professor Bergman lifted a hand to his chin. "He was so concerned when ..."

"What?" Helena eyed him steadily.

Victor supposed it was not his place to say more but he had noticed the strain between John and Helena recently and wondered if something serious was not going on. "John was livid _and_ afraid. He told Kara he would tear the ship apart to find you. Then, when he saw you on that table, ready to be ... Well Helena, if you had died I think John might have done something desperate."

She looked skeptical, "Surely not."

Victor took a breath and studied her for a moment, "Helena, do you really have no idea how he feels about you?"

"I'm a friend." she said, blandly. "And a colleague." Helena smiled too sweetly at Victor, "I'm sure he cares about me. Much like he cares for you."

"He cares for you hardly in the same way he cares for me." Victor's eyes met hers, "He _loves_ you, Helena."

Briefly, Helena looked down at her booted feet and gently licked her lips. "If what you think is true, Victor, John Koenig is the least expressive man I have ever met." She spoke in a near whisper. "He makes me feel ... avoidable."

Professor Bergman stayed with Helena for a few more minutes, wishing her well, then decided he needed to have a serious talk with their Commander.

* * *

He slowly walked down the hall outside Main Mission to Victor's quarters and thought deeply about the Professor's warning while they were in his office. _'Do you really want to be alone for the rest of your life?' _he had question Koenig, leaning over his desk, angrier than John had ever seen him before. Victor had accused him of neglecting Helena and making her feel unimportant. That, of course, was ridiculous. Helena Russell was an vital command figure, possibly even more important than himself in many respects. She was a healer and her intelligence and wisdom had saved the moonbase inhabitants more than once during their voyage into deep space.

But he knew that was not what Victor meant. There was more to life than work, even while it aided in their survival, and Helena wanted more from John Koenig than civility. She wanted him to talk with her, be gentle, and show her he cared.

He was tired ... tired of the long "days" and "nights" alone with his Command, a self-imposed loneliness, and the inner turmoil that told him he was fighting a losing battle. Victor, over the months, tried to keep him encouraged and his friend was often an enthusiastic shot in the arm - but John really missed the one person who could touch, calm, and excite him all at the same time. She truly made all the sacrifice worth while.

Maybe Victor was right. He was trying too hard to keep her at arms length, to prove to his people, as well as himself, that only their welfare was utmost on his mind. Yet, when she nearly died on that Darian craft it scared the hell out of him. He could not hide it. John immediately began to have doubts again. Was this all he could offer her? Danger and possible death? He had closed himself off more, purposely avoiding Helena, telling himself that she was better off with some other man who would not drag her into hellish situations ... But even as he thought these things his heart ached. The thought of her with someone else was unbearable.

_'You are forcing her away. Is that what you want?'_ Victor admonished in his head. Then the Professor stared at his friend. He told him that he and Helena needed to talk and John better do it before she went off to Medical Center that evening. Koenig was surprised she was planning to work so soon after the Darian nightmare. Victor, with a half-smile, told him as Commander it was his prerogative to order her to stay put. He then placed a hand on his friend's shoulder , "John, go to my quarters." ... to a small refrigerator.

John nearly said no but Victor's suddenly stern expression stopped him in his tracks.

"Do it."

* * *

Helena stood from where she sat on the sofa and stretched. She would have to leave soon. Squaring her shoulders, Helena then walked over to her small bathroom, turned the faucet knob, and took a little water into her hands. Gently, she splashed her cheeks and forehead then looked closely at her face for a few moments in the mirror. _'Strong.'_ she thought, _'Stay strong.' _Helena looked a little lower, saw water marks on the chest of her tunic, and thought a fresh uniform was in order.

Not until she left the bathroom did Helena hear her compost bleep. She looked up and saw Koenig on the monitor. Helena was a little surprised, "John?"

"I'm outside. Can I come in?"

Again, she paused. Then, shaking herself out of a stupor, she nodded. "Of course."

Koenig took a breath and pushed the button, watching as the door slid away.

She was still standing by the compost when he entered and lifted the bottle.

"For you." he said and lifted two plastic coffee cups with his other hand.

"John, I can't." she said, stunned but also amused. "I have to go to Medical Center."

"No you don't. I told Mathias you were going to take another night off. He thought it was a good idea."

"John, you can't do that."

He walked further in and stood in front of her, "Yes, I can. I did."

There was silence for a count of ten while they looked at one another.

Helena then broke free of his gaze and looked down at the bottle in his hand, "Dom Perignon? Where on Earth did you get that?" Her eyes widened, impressed, and she took the cups from his hand.

"Wish I could say it was all me but this actually comes from Victor's stash." He watched Helena as they walk over to her sofa, to the coffee table. "He told me once he had a couple bottles of champagne and a bottle of fifty year old brandy in his quarters. 'For special occasions.', he said. We drank the brandy sometime ago ..." Koenig's grin lessened slightly, "I think he planned to open the champagne when Meta was a proven a success."

Helena smiled as she watched him unwrapped the bottle neck, "Well, I'll have to thank him next time I see him." There were many questions but Helena decided not to ask them now. It would spoil the mood which, for the first time in a long while, was light if slightly charged. She chuckled as John popped the cork. Where it landed she did not know but would worry about that too at another time. Helena then lifted the cups, hardly the lovely glasses such a noble bottle of spirits deserved, gratefully. She looked from the liquid up to John's face, the handsome calm yet guarded tension, as he poured. He was here for a reason, she knew, and truly hoped this would be a new start for them.

"A toast." he said, and lifted his cup to tap it against hers. "To ..." He gazed at her for a moment, taking in her expectant expression, and hoping she understood. " ... sacrifice."

Helena cocked her head to the side for a moment and watched him drink as she followed suit. "It's good." she said, slightly foiled, but smiled her appreciation.

He looked away from her, gathering his thoughts and emotions. "I'm sorry, Helena. I've been ignoring you, not treating you like the jewel you are, but I was ... I'm still very confused."

'A jewel.' he had said. Helena nearly blushed. "Tell me." she urged.

He nodded. "After Dyl I closed down a little. I've tried so hard to be the perfect Commander, to prove to everyone that their faith in me is not without merit. Sometimes I feel like I'm under a microscope and everyone I grow close to is in jeopardy of ..."

"Stop it, John." Despite the demand her voice was gentle, "You're not the only one who feels such pressure. But don't ..." she fought for words, " ... make what might or could happen cause you to stop living. I don't mean just existing but really living for our future, the future of Alpha and possibly something more personal." She hesitated for effect and poured them more champagne. "I think you deserve love as much as anyone on Moonbase Alpha."

Gently, Koenig rested his free arm on the back of her sofa and reached out to touch Helena's hair, to feel the soft strands against his fingers. "It's what makes us human." he said, nodding in dazed agreement.

"And you are loved. You know that, don't you?"

"As loved as any human has a right to be, I suppose." He drank from his cup. She was right. It was good.

Helena, whether it be from the effect of the alcohol or his disposition, spoke with a throaty directness. "Do you want to be human with _me_, John?"

He gazed calmly at Helena, over the brim of his cup, taking in her beauty and soothing manner. "Yes. Very much." he whispered. The fingers that were stroking her hair now moved to her cheek.

Helena held her cup in both hands, "Then let us drink to humanity." She sipped.

"Later." Koenig put his cup on the table and took hers to do the same. He then moved in on her, gently touching his lips to her own, feeling exonerated from the rash mood when he felt her hands, one on his shoulder and the other resting on the back of his neck.

_Humanity_, John thought, _had its uses_.

* * *

**CONCLUSION:**

Theirs was a love that would be tested.

Not long after this his friendship with Tony Cellini would come between John and Helena.

They would fight bitterly and make-up charmingly. There would be doubts and fears and finally an understanding. On the night Helena typed her last report on Cellini and his 'dragon' she would make love with her Commander. He would stay the entire night, two not so simple beings holding one another in a small room underneath the stars, and in the morning they would talk quietly again about humanity.

Days later they would draw close to Arkadia, a dead world which would draw them into orbit, inspiring a man and woman they thought friends into violence and deceit, and Helena would nearly be taken from Alpha and its Commander once again.

But this time something was different. When she was rescued Koenig would not feel the need to pull away, as he had in the past, but to hold her close.

And Helena, marveling at her lover's affection, would never have doubts again. She knew John Koenig, with all his faults and fears. She loved him. He was a good man.

He was hers.

* * *

The moon, Alpha, and its humble people moved on.

* * *

THE END

February & March 2014.


End file.
